The Changing Scope of Human Capital – Top 5 HR Trends for the Next 5 Years

Human capital has always been one of the most valuable resources for any employer. In today’s rapidly evolving economy, the concept of human capital is taking on a new meaning. While human capital has traditionally been defined as the skills, knowledge, and expertise possessed by individuals, modern society is now recognizing the importance of a more holistic view. This new modern take includes not only an individual’s job-related skills but also their emotional intelligence, creativity, and adaptability. In today’s article, our professional resume writers discuss the changing scope of human capital and the top 5 HR trends for the next 5 years.

The evolving nature of labor, particularly that associated with the rise of technology and automation, has brought about a growing need for individuals to possess a broader set of skills that can adapt to a rapidly changing job market. This change has led to a growing recognition of the importance of investing in the development of human capital beyond just job-specific skills. Employers are now looking for individuals who possess a range of soft skills, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, communication, and teamwork, in addition to their technical abilities.

Furthermore, the recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of resilience and adaptability in the workforce. Workers with strong emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate uncertainty have been shown to excel in this new post-pandemic environment. As such, the scope of human capital is expanding to include not only an individual’s skills and knowledge but also their ability to cope with rapid change and potential uncertainty.

That is why HR hiring managers are looking for a new generation of employees, and job hopefuls need to be aware of these new trends. To land an interview in the modern work environment jobseekers need to reflect these new HR trends in their resume or rely on a professional resume writer to include them. Here’s what our professional resume writers expect to see in the near future with HR hiring trends and practices.

2020 introduced massive changes that affected most professional industries, and these changes show no signs of slowing down in 2023. This decade has changed how employers view human capital, including the different attributes, skills, and values of employees and candidates.

These industrial shifts aren’t just crucial for employers and human resources (HR) to be aware of but for candidates as well. Anticipating the future of HR and making the most of HR trends will help your resume, CV, and application stand out and make employers more likely to hire you.

  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): Diversity encompasses differences among individuals in a society, such as race, gender identity, socioeconomic status, culture, language, and disability. Equity describes the fair treatment of individuals. Inclusion describes an organization’s practices that promote respecting and working with all individuals, making sure no one is excluded. Overall, DEI represents an organization’s commitment to diverse practices and equal treatment, ensuring everyone has the same opportunities and allowing more perspectives to surface within the business.

  • Organizational agility: Organizational agility refers to an organization’s ability to adapt in response to industry shifts. For example, how well does a tech-focused organization adapt to expanding AI? Alternatively, how well do the employees of an organization adapt to new responsibilities? Organizational agility is more important than ever today due to the changes impacting most industries. Which is why we expect this to be one of the leading HR trends.

  • Soft skills: Soft skills include skills that are important to a job but aren’t technical or industry-specific, including communication skills or leadership abilities. Employers look at soft skills to ensure you’ll be an all-around good employee and positively contribute to company culture.

  • Growth Mindset: A growth mindset recognizes that training, hard work, and experience can improve your most basic skills and abilities. Candidates who claim that they’re “the best” and “can’t get any better” are not desirable to employers, especially when change is unavoidable. Employees with dependable growth mindsets instead are self-sufficient, hard-working, open to new ideas, and willing to ask for help.

  • Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Reporting: These reports summarize an organization’s sustainability and overall impact. Previously, organizations only met regulatory requirements to stay compliant, but that has changed now that investors, stakeholders, and employees have become more globally focused. Today, many organizations go above ESG requirements, are more transparent about their impacts, and actively look for employees who share their goals. If you’ve had any experience with ESG practices, Capstone resume-writing services will highlight this in your application to ensure your resume is ready for shifting HR trends.
image of HR interview for the Hr trends blog

Every market has handled the post-2020 changes differently, with some industries more impacted than others. Below are some of the current top HR trends that our professional resume writers are aware of:

Hybrid/remote work: Of our HR trends this one has already dramatically reshaped the workplace. Many technology, customer service, and other computer-focused jobs have switched almost entirely to hybrid and remote positions, allowing employees to work from home. Capstone’s professional resume writing services can help you highlight previous hybrid roles to prove your flexibility in the technology industry.

AI-Blended Workforces: Particularly in STEM industries, many organizations are adopting new technology to simplify work, achieve new tasks, and maximize efficiency. If you’ve worked with AI before, Capstone can spotlight this experience on your technical resume.

Burnout: With employees finally being valued more in the workplace, more employers have become attentive to burnout and seek candidates who know what they want from a work-life balance. This is especially true for manual labor jobs, such as manufacturing and construction, but it can be true for almost any employer. Capstone resume writers will help you highlight your experience in managing workloads while avoiding indicating burnout in your application.

DEI has been a significant focus across most industries for many years. Today, major pushes for DEI have spotlighted the disproportional wage gap between men and women and the equitable hiring of everyone regardless of race, culture, religion, gender identity, and disability.

DEI practices that organizations have adopted include:

  • Allowing employees to work hybrid or remotely to accommodate disabilities, drive times, and family needs
  • Creating social impact teams
  • Educating employees and eliminating unconscious bias
  • Installing gender-neutral bathrooms
  • Providing health benefits for gender transitions and other health needs
  • Ensuring employees of all ages are equally included
  • Considering diversity during the hiring process
  • Supporting social and environmental causes that employees care about

DEI is especially important to employers in the hiring process. Hiring diverse employees doesn’t just ensure an organization is compliant with Civil Rights laws — it also brings more perspectives to the table, which helps with decision-making, brainstorming, engagement, and workplace culture. Because of this, it’s crucial that you reflect on how you contribute to diversity and DEI practices in your resume and cover letter, such as by sharing diversity training experience or personal traits that make you stand out. Capstone’s resume writing services can craft your application in a way that stands out to DEI-focused employers and hiring managers.

How To Showcase Soft Skills on Your Resume

Today, many employers are more emotional-intelligence-focused and less numbers-driven than in years past, which is critical to consider during the application process. Highlight any soft skills training or leadership experience you’ve had in your resume and cover letter, especially soft skills that may apply to this position. For example, if you’ve had leadership or diversity training, highlight this in your professional resume when applying for managerial jobs.

image of professional resume writer looking over technical resume

Depending on the needs of your industry, desired jobs, and personal skill set, you may need to acquire more soft skills through training, certification, and volunteering to make your application stand out. Many employers are looking for candidates that have pursued upskilling. Our certified resume writers cover what we are calling the Most Popular Career Advancement Trend: Upskilling in our recent article.

Alternatively, you may only need to reflect on your soft skills experiences from previous jobs, such as DEI training courses, experiences gained during job shadowing, and skills you taught yourself.

Highlight Soft Skills on Resume With Capstones Certified Resume Writer’s Help

On your resume, specific soft skills should be cited in your “Training,” “Skills,” or “Experience” sections. If you gained your soft skills from a particular job, include these details in your job description, along with your duties. These job descriptions must be compact, including all essential information without taking up the whole page.

To help with this, Capstone’s resume writers can meet with you one-on-one to learn about your soft skills and career goals, ensuring that they are properly reflected in your application.

When it comes to creating a resume that takes into account the top 5 HR trends with human capital there is no better partner than Capstone Resume Services. Our award winning certified resume writer team will help you create a resume that reflects your strengths and unique qualities while being aware of shifting industry trends.

Capstone’s process is unique because we focus on one-on-one personal collaboration. It begins with a personal consultation with a certified resume writer, where they’ll learn about your experiences, skills, and goals. From there, your certified resume writer will help you assemble an enticing application that is in line with all applicable HR trends to ensure your resume isn’t ignored.

The best part? Our initial resume consultation is completely FREE. Request a free resume consultation today to get started.